Game for manipulating floating and sinking game pieces to one or more pre-defined configurations

ABSTRACT

A game wherein floating and sinking objects are contained in a single container or container, either physically, or electronically in a simulated version, and the container is manipulated to bring all of the floating pieces and sinking pieces into a predefined alignment. The closed container includes a plurality of shelves mounted on dividers, side panels or walls to define a plurality of definable levels. The number of compartments defined by dividers and the number of levels defined by the shelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on the complexity level of the game. At least two levels and two compartments are required to meet the basic game strategy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Desk games have been available for many years, typically used as aconversation piece or a novelty toy displayed on desks or table tops.These are typically novelty items with either a bit of humor involved intheir design, or brainteaser elements, or both. Donald B. Poynterpioneered the art of novelty desk games in the 1960's and later. Forexample, his U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,473, entitled: “Device for Moisteningthe Adhesive Coating on Postage Stamps and Envelopes” comprised a boxwith an activation switch, which when engaged caused a simulated, moisthuman tongue to be extended for moistening the adhesive on an envelopeor a stamp. Mr. Poynter's U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,914 entitled:“Electrically Operated Coin Box Device” comprised a box with a slot forreceiving a coin. The slot included a switch which was activated when acoin was properly positioned. Upon activation, a hinged door would openand a simulated human hand would emerge and grab the coin and remove itfrom the slot and into the box, whereupon the box would close and thedevice would shut off.

Brainteaser games and puzzles are also popular, see for example U.S.Pat. No. 8,136,815, entitled: “Interactive Brainteaser Puzzle,” issuedto Vinh Van. This puzzle is an interactive brainteaser puzzle whichincludes a circular base having a central recess, a raised collar aboutthe central recess, a raised rim about the periphery, a pluralityequally spaced radial lines extending between the raised collar and theraised rim to form a plurality of wedge shaped spaces thereabout and aplurality of apertures, wherein each aperture is located in one wedgeshaped space. A plurality of pegs is provided, wherein each peg is of asize to removably fit into the central recess and any of one of theapertures. A plurality of wedge shaped plates are also provided, whereineach wedge shaped plate is of a size to extend between the raised collarand the raised rim to manually slide within the circular base and stopon any one of the wedge shaped spaces.

With the advent of the computer age, many of these puzzles andbrainteasers have been adapted to computer models, where the game piecesare simulated by programs and the computer device becomes an electronicgame board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention is directed to a brainteaser or game whereinfloating and sinking objects are contained into a plurality of chambersformed a single container or box or similar configuration, eitherphysically, or electronically in a simulated version, and the containeris manipulated to bring all of the floating pieces and sinking piecesinto a pre-defined common alignment or configuration. For example, itmay be an objective to bring all of the pieces onto a common level orother predefined configuration. Other increasingly difficult objectivesand configurations may also be set as the objective, such as, by way ofexample, two pieces of differing properties could be placedsimultaneously on the top and bottom of the game container. Otherobjectives can be set, depending on the number of game pieces and thenumber of levels in the container.

In the preferred embodiment a closed box or container includes aplurality of shelves mounted on dividers and/or the front and back wallsor panels of the container to define a plurality of definable levels. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the dividers are vertical. However, itshould be understood that the various compartments may be defined bydividers of various configurations and that the number of levels definedby the shelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on the desiredcomplexity level of the game. At least two levels and two compartmentsare required to meet the basic game strategy.

The container is filled with a clear or translucent liquid, such aswater. The selection and viscosity of the liquid is also arbitrary,depending upon the complexity and strategy for the game. A ball orsimilar object is placed in each compartment. Typically, half of theballs float in the liquid and will naturally float to the top of thecontainer while the other half of the balls sink in the liquid and willnaturally sink to the bottom of the container.

The container is manipulated in order to get the sinking balls to moveup through the levels, while simultaneously getting the floating ballsto travel generally downward. The object of the game is to bring all ofthe pieces onto a common level or other predetermined configuration.Other increasingly difficult objectives and configurations may also beset as the objective, such as, by way of example, two pieces ofdiffering properties could be placed simultaneously on the top andbottom of the game container. Other objectives can be set, depending onthe number of game pieces and the number of levels in the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cutaway view of the game container.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, with the floating and sinking balls intheir home position.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, showing manipulation of the container tomove the balls vertically up and down in the container and toward oraway from one another.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2, showing both the floating balls and thesinking balls in the same elevation within the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The game container for the desktop or table top game of the subjectinvention is shown in FIG. 1. As there shown, the container 10 istypically rectangular in shape and is fully enclosed, with a back wall12, side walls 14 and 16, upper and lower walls 18 and 20 and a frontwall 22, shown fragmented. Typically, for aesthetic purposes, all of thewalls are made of a clear material such as Plexiglas, or an acrylic, orthe like. It is important that at least the front wall 22 or the backwall 12 is made of a relatively clear or translucent material so thatthe game pieces are visible through the walls in order to facilitateplaying of the game.

In the illustrated embodiment a plurality of vertical dividers 24, 26and 28 divide the interior of a single container into separatecompartments or chambers 30, 32, 34 and 36. However, it should beunderstood that the various compartments may be defined by dividers ofvarious configurations and that the number of levels defined by theshelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on the desired complexitylevel of the game. At least two levels and two compartments are requiredto meet the basic game strategy. The compartments may sealed from oneanother or may communicate with one another through the walls, provided,however that any space or gap between the dividers or the dividers andthe container is not sufficient to permit any of the balls (see FIGS.2-4) to move between compartments.

In the embodiment shown, a plurality of shelves are mounted on thevertical dividers 24, 26 and 28 and the end walls 14 and 16. It shouldbe understood that the shelves may be mounted on the vertical dividers,and/or one or more of the side panels 12 and 22, in order to achieve thedesired assembly. The shelves in the preferred embodiment are triangleshaped with two sides 40A and 40B being attached to the adjacentvertical wall or divider and the open front side 40C being positioned inthe related compartment 30, 32, 34 or 36. Each set of horizontal shelvesdefines a level, levels 42, 44, 46 and 48, as shown. However, it shouldbe understood that the specific configuration of the shelves isarbitrary so long as they permit movement of the balls between levels.

The number of compartments defined by dividers and the number of levelsdefined by the shelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on thecomplexity level of the game. At least two levels and two compartmentsare required to meet the basic game strategy.

The container is filled with a clear or translucent liquid, such aswater. The selection and viscosity of the liquid is also arbitrary,depending upon the complexity and strategy for the game.

As shown in FIG. 2, a ball or similar object is placed in eachcompartment. Typically, half of the balls are less dense than the liquidand will naturally float to the top of the container 10, see balls 50and 52. The other half of the balls more dense than the liquid and willnaturally sink to the bottom of the container 10, see balls 54 and 56.It may be desirable to distinguish the floating balls and the sinkingballs from one another by marking the balls with different indicia orcolors, but this is simply a matter of choice and is not required tomeet the objectives of the game. In the illustrated embodiment thefloating balls are white and the sinking balls are black. While thefloating balls are shown next to one another and the sinking balls areshown next to one another, any alignment may be used. In order to meetthe objective of the game, there should be at least one floating gamepiece and one sinking game piece.

Once assembled, and with the balls in their natural position of FIG. 2,it is an object of the game to manipulate the container as shown in FIG.3 in order to get the sinking balls 54 and 56 to move up through thelevels by traveling generally upward in the direction of arrow 58, whilesimultaneously getting the floating balls 50 and 52 to travel generallydownward in the direction of arrow 60. One objective of the game is toget all of the floating and sinking balls on the same level, forexample, level 44 as shown in FIG. 4. Other objectives andconfigurations may also be set, such as, by way of example, two piecesof differing properties could be placed simultaneously on the top andbottom of the game container. Various objectives can be set, dependingon the number of game pieces and the number of levels in the container.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the game container can bedesigned to be an application for a computer, smart phone or a tablet orsimilar device, where the device or an accessory such as a keyboard,joystick or mouse, or the like, can be manipulated to simulate themovement of the container and provide simulated movement of the balls orsimilar game pieces. The vertical walls can be straight, as shown, orcurvilinear, in order to add additional variety to the game.

While certain features and embodiments of the invention have been shownin detail herein, it should be understood that all modifications andenhancements of the invention are within the scope and spirit of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A game comprising: a. A plurality of chambers; b.Shelves associated with the at least one partition for subdividing eachof the plurality of chambers into a plurality of levels; c. A fluidsubstantially filling the container; d. At least one game piece whichnaturally floats in the fluid; e. At least one game piece whichnaturally sinks in the fluid, wherein the object of the game is tomanipulate the container to migrate both the floating game piece and thesinking game into a predefined configuration.
 2. The game of claim 1,wherein the plurality of chamber comprises closed container having atleast one partition subdividing the container into said chambers.
 3. Thegame of claim 1, wherein the object of the game is to manipulate thefloating and sinking game pieces to the same level.
 4. The game of claim1, wherein the container is a physical container having a top wall, abottom wall, a front wall, a back wall and end walls.
 5. The containerof claim 4, wherein at least one of the front wall and the back wall istransparent.
 6. The container of claim 4, wherein all of the walls aretransparent.
 7. The game of claim 1, wherein the floating game piece isvisibly distinguishable from the sinking game piece.
 8. The game ofclaim 7, wherein the floating piece is of one color and the sinkingpiece is of another color.
 9. The game of claim 8, wherein the gamepieces are balls.
 10. The game of claim 1, wherein the components of thegame are computer generated and are simulated on a display screen. 11.The game of claim 10, wherein the container is simulated by a computerdevice which may be physically manipulated to simulate manipulation ofthe container.
 12. The game of claim 1, including four chambers with twofloating game pieces and two sinking game pieces.
 13. The game of claim12, including four levels defined by the shelves.
 14. The game of claim1, wherein the fluid comprises water.